Low energy LED lightbulbs could be giving us all headaches – via DailyMail.co.uk

Energy-saving lightbulbs could be giving us all headaches as they flicker too much.

LED bulbs can bring on feelings of dizziness and pain within just 20 minutes of switching them on, an expert has warned.

Arnold Wilkins, Psychology professor at the University of Essex, said the flickering of the unpopular lights is stronger than for traditional lightbulbs. While fluorescent lights, such as those in offices, dim by around 35 percent with every flicker, LED lights dim by 100 percent. It means they effectively turn off and on again hundreds of times every second. This can cause headaches by disrupting movement control of the eyes, forcing the brain to work harder.

Flickering LED bulbs could double the chances of suffering a headache, based on previous research. A study from 1989 conducted by Professor Wilkins found fluorescent lighting which flickered 100 times a second doubled the chances of office workers experiencing headaches. LED lightbulbs can flash 400 times a second – four times as often.